Flight to NYC Diverted After Drunk Passenger Rampage: Feds

By R. Darren Price

A New York City-bound JetBlue flight had to be diverted to Washington, D.C., last summer when an apparently drunk woman caused a scene.

(Published Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018)

A New York City-bound JetBlue flight had to be diverted to Washington, D.C., last summer when an apparently drunk woman “flirtatiously” touched a fellow passenger’s head, cursed at others on the plane, threw snacks, busted out of handcuffs and cried that “nobody loves her,” according to court documents.

Robin Dorothy Ducore -- who according to other published reports is from New York -- was arrested after the midair rampage on the flight from the Dominican Republic to John F. Kennedy International Airport on July 29 that forced more than 100 fellow passengers to get off in Washington, according to an affidavit unsealed this week.

According to the affidavit, Ducore ordered two glasses of white wine from a flight attendant during drink service. She drank both glasses, then ordered another two not long after, downing all four glasses in about 90 minutes.

When the attendant cut her off, Ducore began to curse and talk loudly, according to the affidavit. The attendant then noticed that she was touching the male passenger next to her, who appeared to be uncomfortable.

Afterward, according to the document, the attendant moved the fellow passenger, a move that angered Ducore. Then, a doctor offered to sit next to the woman and made it about five minutes before telling the attendant “I’m not sitting next to that psychotic.”

According to the affidavit, the doctor told investigators that during the course of that five minutes, Ducore hugged her and cried about a family member. But she said that Ducore’s hugs were so tight that she was worried about being hurt and decided to go back to her seat.

That’s when the doctor -- who later said the woman was acting “like a caged animal” -- said Ducore yelled “you leave me like everyone leaves!,” cursed and kicked the chair in front of her.

Flight attendants then tried to give Ducore extra snacks and a bottle of water to help her sober up, according to the affidavit. But the allegedly inconsolable passenger instead flung the water bottle and food across the plane.

After that, according to the affidavit, attendants decide to restrain the woman with plastic handcuffs. She initially resisted, but then relented. She cursed, said “I hate my life” and “nobody loves” her and asked everyone to go away.

She managed to bust out of the cuffs after about five minutes, called a flight attendant a “f---ing a--hole” and kicked him in the leg.

After that, another flight attendant was able to get her to calm down and re-restrain her, according to the document.

The crew then decided that for the safety of the passengers the flight had to be diverted to Washington Dulles International Airport. According to the affidavit, the woman passed out for the final 20 minutes of the flight, but they decided to land in Washington anyway.

According to the affidavit, 144 passengers were on the flight. JetBlue issued each passenger aboard the plane a $150 voucher.

Ducore is charged with interfering with a flight crew. She faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted of the federal offense, and is set to appear in court in Virginia on Friday. An attorney for the woman said she was drunk before she got on board.